From Smart Mobs, an article describing Yahoo’s plans to offer free voice over internet protocol (VoIP). VoIP allows users with the same software to have a telephone quality connection via an internet connection. Vonage is a private, for profite company that has attracted the most attention to this new technology. Howard Dean helped to popularize the technology during the 2004 Democratic primaries.
VoIP faces some regulation type hurdles, including the possiblity of being required to offer 911 service. Yahoo’s announcement raises the stakes to a new level. The uses for Extension are numerous, from conference calls to actual webinars. It is a both a productivity tool to save money and connect us, and a teaching tool to reach clientele and conduct our own inservices. We have tested AIM’s voice over in our office, but it is simply point to point and had a variable quality level. The continued spread of broadband will make this more of a reality in the near future.